Facts & Figures: Health Inequity Among Rural Minorities

African Americans are the largest rural minority. Despite federal health programs, Black adults in rural areas of the United States have a higher mortality rate from several chronic health conditions than white adults and higher cancer rates than other rural residents.

Rural African Americans also have higher rates of disease than urban African Americans. Minorities, in general, have less access to healthcare, and living in an area that doesn’t have easy access to healthcare can exacerbate this issue.

For hundreds of years and into the present, American Indians and Alaska Natives have endured traumatic events resulting from colonization. They and their communities continue to experience repercussions (i.e., historical trauma) from these events.

When you view the larger picture, historical trauma appears to contribute to various problems, including socioeconomic effects, problematic behaviors, and, especially, various mental and substance use disorders.

American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have the highest rates of suicide of any racial/ethnic group in the United States. The suicide rate among AI/AN has been increasing since 2003, and in a 2015 study, AI/AN suicide rates were 3.5 times higher than other racial/ethnic groups with the lowest rates.